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What to do First When Someone Dies
When someone dies, the first few hours and days can feel overwhelming. You may be grieving while also being asked to make decisions, speak to professionals and deal with processes you may never have encountered before. It can be difficult to know what needs to happen immediately, what can wait, and who is responsible for each part of the process.
What happens next depends partly on where the person died and whether their death was expected. A death at home may be handled differently from a death in hospital, a hospice or care home, and an unexpected or unexplained death may need to be referred to the Coroner. Healthcare staff, the Medical Examiner, registrar, Coroner and funeral director may all be involved at different stages.
There are some practical steps that need to happen, including confirming the death, completing the necessary medical paperwork and registering the death. After that, there will be other things to think about, such as notifying organisations, arranging the funeral and beginning to deal with the person's affairs.
You do not have to work everything out at once. The professionals involved should explain what happens next and what you need to do. It can help to take things one step at a time, keep notes of important information and ask a family member or friend to help with calls, appointments or paperwork if you need support.
When Someone Dies
If someone dies in a hospital, hospice or care home, staff will normally confirm the death and explain what will happen next.
If someone dies at home and the death was expected, for example because they had a terminal illness, contact their GP surgery or the healthcare team caring for them. Outside normal hours, NHS 111 can advise you. A healthcare professional will need to verify that the person has died before the next formal steps can take place.
If a death at home is sudden or unexpected, call 999. The emergency services will explain what to do and the death may be referred to the Coroner.
Once an expected death has been verified, you can contact a funeral director when you are ready. There is usually no need to make every decision about the funeral at this point.
The Medical Examiner and Coroner
For most deaths which are not investigated by a Coroner, a Medical Examiner will independently review the proposed medical cause of death before the death is registered.
The Medical Examiner's office may contact the family or representative of the person who has died. This gives you an opportunity to ask questions about the cause of death or raise concerns about the care the person received.
Some deaths must instead be referred to the Coroner. This can happen when the cause of death is unknown, the death was sudden or unexpected, or there are other circumstances which require investigation.
A referral to the Coroner does not necessarily mean that anything suspicious has happened. The Coroner's role is to establish who died and how, when and where the death occurred. There may be a post-mortem examination and, in some cases, an inquest.
If an inquest is required, the Coroner can issue an interim death certificate which can be used for matters such as probate and Tell Us Once while the investigation continues.
Registering the Death
Once the necessary medical or Coroner's paperwork has been completed, the death can be formally registered.
The registration normally takes place in the area where the person died. If the death occurred in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland, the relevant local authority provides information about making an appointment and what you will be asked.
The registrar records details about the person who has died and issues the formal death certificate. You can purchase certified copies of the certificate, which may be needed when dealing with banks, insurers, pension providers and other organisations.
If the Coroner is investigating the death, the registration process may be different and the Coroner or registrar will explain what happens next.
Tell Us Once
When you register a death, you should be given information about Tell Us Once.
This free government service allows you to report the death to a number of government and local authority services at the same time, rather than contacting each separately.
Depending on the person's circumstances, this can include HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Passport Office, DVLA and local council services.
Tell Us Once does not notify every organisation, so there will usually still be other people and companies you need to contact yourself.
Who Else Do I Tell?
There is no need to make every phone call immediately. It can help to make a simple list and work through it gradually.
Organisations which may need to know include the person's bank or building society, mortgage provider or landlord, employer, pension providers, insurance companies, utility companies, mobile phone and broadband providers and any organisations providing subscriptions or regular services.
You may also need to deal with social media accounts, email accounts and other online services.
If the person lived alone, think about immediate practical matters such as securing their home, looking after pets, dealing with post and checking whether home insurance conditions change while the property is unoccupied.
The person dealing with the estate will normally take responsibility for many of these matters. GOV.UK's step-by-step service also identifies government, financial and other organisations that may need to be contacted.
What Can Wait
It is easy to feel that everything needs to be dealt with straight away. It does not.
The immediate priorities are making sure the death has been properly verified, following any instructions from healthcare professionals or the Coroner, registering the death when you are able to do so and beginning to think about funeral arrangements.
Many other tasks can be dealt with over the following days and weeks.
You do not need to start clearing someone's home, distributing their possessions or closing every account immediately. In fact, if you are an executor or are responsible for administering the estate, it is important not to distribute money or belongings until you understand the estate and your responsibilities.
Ask for help where you can. One person can keep a record of phone calls and paperwork, while someone else deals with practical tasks or keeps family and friends informed.
